Screen Treatment - Pirates and Ladies (working title)
A film treatment of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew that I did for class. I quite like it. It's a bit rough, as it's done in a hurry, and too short for my liking, but I think, all things considered, it came out pretty well.
I had several problems adapting the play: a) I needed to mitigate the whole "taming" angle; it worked for Shakespeare because he had a company of men. Also, he wasn't writing for a post-feminist audience. b) Motherfucking pirates and their speech quirks.
Ladies and Pirates: A Film Treatment of an Adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew
Night.
Caribbean, about mid 1600’s.
Close to the docks and seedy part of town.
Kate in ill-fitting boy’s clothes creeps through streets. Averts eyes from murmuring in dark corners. She passes by a prostitute and a sailor, moving into a dark alley. Her hand rests on a pistol strapped to her waist.
Loud shouts. Kate jumps and relaxes when nothing happens. Sound of sea as she nears a ship. Moonlight breaks clouds.
“Well, wut have we here, fellas?” voice says behind her.
Stiffens. Turns around. There are two pirates. One is holding a torch. The other has a wooden peg for leg. They are drunk. “Nothing sir.” Voice is lower than normal. “Was just checking the ship. It’s-s’my job.” Despise best intentions, she clearly is well-bred.
“No jeb fo’ a lady,” leers the one with the leg.
Kate shrinks away. She fumbles with her stolen pistol. The man with the torch swings it at her, and she drops it. They laugh.
“I’m not a lady.” Her voice is still very prim.
“An’ I ain’t a pirate.”
The two pirates step closer to her . She shrinks back.
Cut to a shot of the moon and the sea. A scream is heard.
Change scene. The Baptist house. Large, very grand. Impression of great wealth. Cut to Bianca in her room, brushing her hair. She is smiling. She checks the time, stands up, pulls on a robe and leaves her room with a candle. The house is dark and full of ornaments. She ignores them and knocks on her father’s study.
“Come in.”
She opens the door, looking upset. The study is ornate and large. A fire crackles loudly, and there is a loud pop. His desk is made of cherry wood, polished until it catches the reflection of Bianca’s candle. There is a large atlas spread across his desk.
“Papa, Kate’s gone.”
“What do you mean?”
Bianca takes a note from her robe and hands it to her father.
He reads it, his face pales. “Wake up the servants and have one fetch the captain. We must find her.”
Cut to a shot of the town. Naval officers and soldiers are streaming from buildings, bayonets and swords in their hands. They fill the streets.
Scene returns back to Kate and the three pirates. She is struggling. Two pirates hold her arms. She kicks one in the shins, knees the other in the groin. They release her, and she lunges, her hands outstretched.
“Y’filthy whore! Y’almos’ took me eye out!” swears the man with the torch.
The man with the wooden peg hits her sharply at the back of her head. She faints. Grinning, he lifts her and settles her over his shoulder.
“I git firs’ go.”
“No fair! Was ‘cuz of me she dropped the pistol.”
“Where iz the bloody thing anyway?”
“I believe I have what you’re looking for.” A new voice. Speaks crisp English.
Pirates turn around. The torchlight shines upon a handsome man. He has light-coloured hair, is dressed in sober clothing, and is holding Kate’s pistol. The pirates glower.
“Who in de bloody tarnation are y’?” man with wooden peg growls.
“Patrick Kerrington at your service. But you may know me as Cap’n Trick,” he answers.
Pirates pale. “Trick? Y’can’t be.”
“But I am. Give me the lady.”
“Or what?” sneers the one with the torch.
Patrick shoots. Close up of man with wooden leg. He howls and drops Kate, gripping his bleeding thigh. Patrick scoops her up before she hits the ground and settles her on his shoulder, and elbows the man holding the torch. He yelps and lets his torch go. Patrick catches it in his free hand.
“Pleasure doing business with you.” Whistling, he walks off into the street. Scene fades.
Cut to a tavern. There are serving girls with low-cut dresses serving alcohol to sailors and pirates alike. A man at the bar bellows at one of the servers.
“Don’ spill anymore, Marilinda, y’clumsy wretch!”
It is unintelligibly loud and bright. The camera pans upward to a small room. The noise from downstairs is still audible, but much softer. It is a plain room, with a bed, chair and a small table with a pitcher and basin. Kate is sleeping. She wakes up and tries to sit up, but stops.
“Steady there.” Patrick moves into view. He puts a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a lucky person, Miss.”
“What happened?”
“I saved you. Drink this.” He hands her a large mug. She sniffs it. “For your headache.”
“No, but thank you.” Wincing, she puts the mug on the small table and sits up.
“It’s not poisoned.”
“Where am I?”
He sits in the chair and stares at her. “In my room. I rented it for a few nights. What’s your name, Miss?”
“Kate.”
“Well Miss Kate, I am Patrick Kerrington.”
He stands and gives her a courtly bow. She inclines her head and brings a head up to her head. She refuses the mug he proffers her.
“Thank you very much for your concern, Mr. Kerrington, but I need to go now.”
“Now? If you’ll tell me where you live, I’ll send a message to your family and have them escort you home.”
“It will not be necessary.”
“At least wait until it’s light, Miss Kate. It’s not safe.”
“I will be perfectly fine.”
“Then I will take you home.”
“No thank you, Mr. Kerrington.”
“Your headache must be excruciating. I insist you stay.”
“I am fine. If you’ll excuse me.” She slides out of the bed. He watches her.
“Stubborn wench.”
Quick cut to Kate. “Excuse me? What did you just call me?”
“A wench. You’re clearly not a lad, despite your clothing, and no lady would leave her home at night.” The scene is now cutting back and forth between Kate and Patrick.
“If you must know, I am running away.”
“How adventurous. Would you like to run away with me? You’d make a splendid wife.”
“Mr. Kerrington, what are you suggesting?”
He grabs her arms. Shocked, she does not move.
Camera moves back slowly so that the room is in full view. Moonlight spills through the window, and the candle flickers.
“I am suggesting that we run away together,” he says in a low voice.
“No thank you. I am not in the habit of eloping with strangers.”
“We’re no strangers, Kate. I saved your life.”
“Which hardly means you know a thing about me.”
“I know all I need.”
“With all due respect, I do not need to run away from another marriage.” Her voice is sharp. “Please unhand me, Mr. Kerrington.”
“We could be married in the morning.”
“You’re absurd!” She struggles from his grasp.
“Thank you. We shall deal quite nicely then.”
“We’ll kill each other!”
“We’ll kill each other with love, my dear. Come now, Kate, you must admit that I am good looking. And I am quite rich.”
“I admit to nothing.”
“Good. That means you have no qualms about us getting married.”
“I never said that!”
Camera pans to Patrick’s face. He is breathing heavily. “Very well then, I shall have to change your mind,” he says and kisses her.
She struggles and pushes him back. She strikes him. The sound of her slap rings through the room.
“Do not strike me again,” he says darkly.
“Do not think to touch me again.”
They stare at each other. The door bursts open, and the Admiral strides in. A group of soldiers follow. The room is getting very crowded.
“Katherine!” cries the Admiral.
“Papa! How did you find me?”
“Your sister found your note.”
“I didn’t leave a note!”
Admiral Baptist strides forward. He takes Kate’s arm. “You’ve clearly taken a leave of your senses, Katherine. Let’s bring you home. You need your rest.”
“Papa, I don’t want to marry the wretched old man.”
Patrick’s face shows no emotion.
“We’ve spoken about this before, Katherine.” He looks at Patrick. “And who might you be?”
“Patrick Kerrington. Your daughter was about to elope with me.”
Kate gasps.
“Katherine Anna-Lise Baptist, your mother would be ashamed of you!”
“She’d be ashamed of the fact that you’re making me marry that wretched, disgusting old man! He’s over sixty, Papa!”
“We will discuss this at home.” The Admiral takes his daughter’s arm and drags her out towards the door, the soldiers following. “Thank you very much, Mr. Kerrington. One of my men will compensate you for your trouble.”
Kate lets out a loud screech. “I would rather marry a pirate than that letch Gremio!”
“Katherine! Be silent! You will be at the chapel tomorrow even if I must recruit soldiers to drag you there! Now, if you’ll excuse us, Mr. Kerrington. I am sorry for this trouble.”
Admiral and Kate leave the room. The soldiers follow. One stays to give Patrick some coins and leaves as well.
Patrick smiles. “You’d rather marry a pirate, eh? I think I can arrange that.” He chuckles.
Scene fades.
I had several problems adapting the play: a) I needed to mitigate the whole "taming" angle; it worked for Shakespeare because he had a company of men. Also, he wasn't writing for a post-feminist audience. b) Motherfucking pirates and their speech quirks.
Ladies and Pirates: A Film Treatment of an Adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew
Night.
Caribbean, about mid 1600’s.
Close to the docks and seedy part of town.
Kate in ill-fitting boy’s clothes creeps through streets. Averts eyes from murmuring in dark corners. She passes by a prostitute and a sailor, moving into a dark alley. Her hand rests on a pistol strapped to her waist.
Loud shouts. Kate jumps and relaxes when nothing happens. Sound of sea as she nears a ship. Moonlight breaks clouds.
“Well, wut have we here, fellas?” voice says behind her.
Stiffens. Turns around. There are two pirates. One is holding a torch. The other has a wooden peg for leg. They are drunk. “Nothing sir.” Voice is lower than normal. “Was just checking the ship. It’s-s’my job.” Despise best intentions, she clearly is well-bred.
“No jeb fo’ a lady,” leers the one with the leg.
Kate shrinks away. She fumbles with her stolen pistol. The man with the torch swings it at her, and she drops it. They laugh.
“I’m not a lady.” Her voice is still very prim.
“An’ I ain’t a pirate.”
The two pirates step closer to her . She shrinks back.
Cut to a shot of the moon and the sea. A scream is heard.
Change scene. The Baptist house. Large, very grand. Impression of great wealth. Cut to Bianca in her room, brushing her hair. She is smiling. She checks the time, stands up, pulls on a robe and leaves her room with a candle. The house is dark and full of ornaments. She ignores them and knocks on her father’s study.
“Come in.”
She opens the door, looking upset. The study is ornate and large. A fire crackles loudly, and there is a loud pop. His desk is made of cherry wood, polished until it catches the reflection of Bianca’s candle. There is a large atlas spread across his desk.
“Papa, Kate’s gone.”
“What do you mean?”
Bianca takes a note from her robe and hands it to her father.
He reads it, his face pales. “Wake up the servants and have one fetch the captain. We must find her.”
Cut to a shot of the town. Naval officers and soldiers are streaming from buildings, bayonets and swords in their hands. They fill the streets.
Scene returns back to Kate and the three pirates. She is struggling. Two pirates hold her arms. She kicks one in the shins, knees the other in the groin. They release her, and she lunges, her hands outstretched.
“Y’filthy whore! Y’almos’ took me eye out!” swears the man with the torch.
The man with the wooden peg hits her sharply at the back of her head. She faints. Grinning, he lifts her and settles her over his shoulder.
“I git firs’ go.”
“No fair! Was ‘cuz of me she dropped the pistol.”
“Where iz the bloody thing anyway?”
“I believe I have what you’re looking for.” A new voice. Speaks crisp English.
Pirates turn around. The torchlight shines upon a handsome man. He has light-coloured hair, is dressed in sober clothing, and is holding Kate’s pistol. The pirates glower.
“Who in de bloody tarnation are y’?” man with wooden peg growls.
“Patrick Kerrington at your service. But you may know me as Cap’n Trick,” he answers.
Pirates pale. “Trick? Y’can’t be.”
“But I am. Give me the lady.”
“Or what?” sneers the one with the torch.
Patrick shoots. Close up of man with wooden leg. He howls and drops Kate, gripping his bleeding thigh. Patrick scoops her up before she hits the ground and settles her on his shoulder, and elbows the man holding the torch. He yelps and lets his torch go. Patrick catches it in his free hand.
“Pleasure doing business with you.” Whistling, he walks off into the street. Scene fades.
Cut to a tavern. There are serving girls with low-cut dresses serving alcohol to sailors and pirates alike. A man at the bar bellows at one of the servers.
“Don’ spill anymore, Marilinda, y’clumsy wretch!”
It is unintelligibly loud and bright. The camera pans upward to a small room. The noise from downstairs is still audible, but much softer. It is a plain room, with a bed, chair and a small table with a pitcher and basin. Kate is sleeping. She wakes up and tries to sit up, but stops.
“Steady there.” Patrick moves into view. He puts a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a lucky person, Miss.”
“What happened?”
“I saved you. Drink this.” He hands her a large mug. She sniffs it. “For your headache.”
“No, but thank you.” Wincing, she puts the mug on the small table and sits up.
“It’s not poisoned.”
“Where am I?”
He sits in the chair and stares at her. “In my room. I rented it for a few nights. What’s your name, Miss?”
“Kate.”
“Well Miss Kate, I am Patrick Kerrington.”
He stands and gives her a courtly bow. She inclines her head and brings a head up to her head. She refuses the mug he proffers her.
“Thank you very much for your concern, Mr. Kerrington, but I need to go now.”
“Now? If you’ll tell me where you live, I’ll send a message to your family and have them escort you home.”
“It will not be necessary.”
“At least wait until it’s light, Miss Kate. It’s not safe.”
“I will be perfectly fine.”
“Then I will take you home.”
“No thank you, Mr. Kerrington.”
“Your headache must be excruciating. I insist you stay.”
“I am fine. If you’ll excuse me.” She slides out of the bed. He watches her.
“Stubborn wench.”
Quick cut to Kate. “Excuse me? What did you just call me?”
“A wench. You’re clearly not a lad, despite your clothing, and no lady would leave her home at night.” The scene is now cutting back and forth between Kate and Patrick.
“If you must know, I am running away.”
“How adventurous. Would you like to run away with me? You’d make a splendid wife.”
“Mr. Kerrington, what are you suggesting?”
He grabs her arms. Shocked, she does not move.
Camera moves back slowly so that the room is in full view. Moonlight spills through the window, and the candle flickers.
“I am suggesting that we run away together,” he says in a low voice.
“No thank you. I am not in the habit of eloping with strangers.”
“We’re no strangers, Kate. I saved your life.”
“Which hardly means you know a thing about me.”
“I know all I need.”
“With all due respect, I do not need to run away from another marriage.” Her voice is sharp. “Please unhand me, Mr. Kerrington.”
“We could be married in the morning.”
“You’re absurd!” She struggles from his grasp.
“Thank you. We shall deal quite nicely then.”
“We’ll kill each other!”
“We’ll kill each other with love, my dear. Come now, Kate, you must admit that I am good looking. And I am quite rich.”
“I admit to nothing.”
“Good. That means you have no qualms about us getting married.”
“I never said that!”
Camera pans to Patrick’s face. He is breathing heavily. “Very well then, I shall have to change your mind,” he says and kisses her.
She struggles and pushes him back. She strikes him. The sound of her slap rings through the room.
“Do not strike me again,” he says darkly.
“Do not think to touch me again.”
They stare at each other. The door bursts open, and the Admiral strides in. A group of soldiers follow. The room is getting very crowded.
“Katherine!” cries the Admiral.
“Papa! How did you find me?”
“Your sister found your note.”
“I didn’t leave a note!”
Admiral Baptist strides forward. He takes Kate’s arm. “You’ve clearly taken a leave of your senses, Katherine. Let’s bring you home. You need your rest.”
“Papa, I don’t want to marry the wretched old man.”
Patrick’s face shows no emotion.
“We’ve spoken about this before, Katherine.” He looks at Patrick. “And who might you be?”
“Patrick Kerrington. Your daughter was about to elope with me.”
Kate gasps.
“Katherine Anna-Lise Baptist, your mother would be ashamed of you!”
“She’d be ashamed of the fact that you’re making me marry that wretched, disgusting old man! He’s over sixty, Papa!”
“We will discuss this at home.” The Admiral takes his daughter’s arm and drags her out towards the door, the soldiers following. “Thank you very much, Mr. Kerrington. One of my men will compensate you for your trouble.”
Kate lets out a loud screech. “I would rather marry a pirate than that letch Gremio!”
“Katherine! Be silent! You will be at the chapel tomorrow even if I must recruit soldiers to drag you there! Now, if you’ll excuse us, Mr. Kerrington. I am sorry for this trouble.”
Admiral and Kate leave the room. The soldiers follow. One stays to give Patrick some coins and leaves as well.
Patrick smiles. “You’d rather marry a pirate, eh? I think I can arrange that.” He chuckles.
Scene fades.